Process for the manufacture of steroids



Un w S s PMC O 7 I 2,868,784 I PROCESS FOR THE MANUFACTURE OF STEROIDS Leop ld Ruzicka and Oscar Jeger, Zurich, Switzerland,

assignors to Ciba Pharmaceutical Products Inc., Summit, N. J

No Drawing. Application October s, 1955 Serial No. 538,272

Claims priority, application Switzerland October 8, 1954 12 Claims. (Cl. 260239.57)

This invention relates to a new series of cyclopentanophenanthrene derivatives. More particularly, this invention is concerned with 11:12-unsaturated 13-substituted steroids and methods for their preparation. Also included within the scope of this invention are the l3-unsubstitutcd tertiary 17a-hydroxy-D-homo-12:18-bisnor-steroids and their esters.

The recently isolated highly active new suprarenal cortex hormone, aldosterone, having the following formulae which obviously represent an equilibrium,

onion R 0112011 no 0110 0 0H 13 70H: CH3

'difiers from known steroid hormones by the presence of the new substituent in the 13-position. This compound .and its preparation is fully described in copending application, Serial No. 444,657, filed on July 20, 1954, by Tadeus Reichstein et al.

Aldosterone has heretofore been obtainable only by extraction from suprarenal glands. As the content of aldosterone in the suprarenal gland is very small it is not possible to obtain in this manner the quantities of aldosterone required for therapeutic purposes. Accordingly, there is aneed for a new abundant source for the production of this medicament. However, hitherto no processes have become known for making aldosterone synthetically. Starting, for example, from the starting materials customarily used for making steroid hormones there is the obvious ditficulty of replacing the methyl group in the 13- position by an aldehyde group. I I

The present invention is based on the observation that steroids substituted in the l3-position by any desired organic substituent can be made by subjecting a tertiary 17ahydroxy-D-homo-IZ:18-bisnor-steroid unsubstituted in the .13-position, to the action of an agent capable of eliminating water, and if desired converting the substituent in the 13-position of the resulting compound.

The new process may be illustrated by the following scheme of partial formulae:

, HO R 17a I 11 13 17 13 17 I C 16 16 in which R represents an organic substituent, advantageously a free or functionally converted carboxyl group such, for example, as an esterified carboxylgroup or n Patented Jan. 13, 1959 more especially the nitrile group, or a substituted or 1111-.

substituted alkyl, alkenyl or alkinyl residue, such as av methyl, oxymethyl, aminomethyl, carbalkoxymethyl, vinyl, acrylic acid or ethinyl residue.

The starting materials defined above may be saturated or unsaturated and of any desired steric configuration. In the IO-position they may contain hydrogen or an unsubstituted or substituted methyl group. Of special practical interest are the compounds having a cis-linkage of the rings A and B, and those which contain a; double bond starting from the S-carbon atom, that is to say, in v the 4:5- or 5:6-positions. In other respects they may be substituted in any desired manner, for example, in the .17- or 16- and 17-positions by those side chains which are present in the sterols, such as cholesterol, stigmaste rol,

oxo-12:18-bisuor-steroids unsubstituted in the 13-position,

for example, by additive combination with hydrocyanic acid or by reaction with organo-metal'compounds according to the partial formulae Among the organo-metal compounds there may be mentioned more especially the Grignardcompounds, such as methyl magnesium halides, the alkali metal acetylides, for example, from acetylene or ethoxy-acetylene, and also the 'organo metal compounds of the Reformatzky or Darzens reaction formed e. g. by reacting the ketone with a bromoacetic acid ester in the presence of zinc or sodium hydride, respectively. Before carrying out the additive combination at the 17a-oxo group any other oxo groups present, for example, in theft-position, are protected. in known manner, for example, by ketalization.

Suitable'agents capable of eliminating water are the halides of sulfur or phosphorus, above all thionyl chloride and phosphorus oxychloride, in an organic base such as pyridine or piperidine. The elimination of water may also be carried out by means of more or less concentrated organic or inorganic'acids or their anhydrides, for exam- I .plje, formic acid, oxalic acid, hydrochloric acid, phosphoric acid, phosphorus pentoxide, or by means of inorganic salts, for example, zinc chlorideorpotassium bisulfate, advantageously in the presence of a diluent or solvent. The elimination of water may also be carried out indirectly by first esterifying the hydroxyl group in 'the l7a-position of the starting material, especially with a sulfonic acid such as methane or para-toluene sulfonic "acid, and then treating the resulting ester with a base, for example, an alkali or alkaline earth, such as sodium,

potassium or calcium hydroxide or alcoholate, for example, potassiumtertiary-butylate.

The conversion of the substituent R in the resulting 11:12-unsaturated compounds can be carried out invarious ways depending on the starting materials used. An

esterified carboxyl group. or. nitrilegroup may be hydrolysed by the action of an acid or alkaline agent. In this case lactonization of the free carboxyl group to the 11- carbon atom according .to: the partial formulae COOH '0'OO| generally takes place at the same time.

Vinyl groups may be degraded by oxidative splitting to aldehyde or carboxyl groups, for example, by direct hydroxylation with osmium tetroxide or by epoxylation with peracids, hydrolysis followed. by glycol splitting with lead tetracetate or periodic acid, by ozonisation and splitting ofif the ozonide or by oxidation with potassium permanganate. An ethinyl group can be converted by selective hydrogenation, especially in the presence of a lead catalyst, into a vinyl group, and the latter can then be degraded in the manner described above, or it may'first be converted by hydration, advantageously in. the presence of formic acid, into an acetyl group, which can be degraded in known manner to a carboxyl group. i

The ultimate products of this invention, namely the 11:12-unsaturated steroid-IS-acids and the corresponding 11:12-saturated 11-hydroxy-l8:ll-lactones are useful 'as intermediates for the preparation of therapeutically active products. Thus the 18:11-lactone of SmIl'fi-dihydroxycholanic acid-18-acid may be converted to' aldosterone as described in the example hereinafter. The utility of aldosterone is well-known and has been described in numerous scientific publications. It is a genuine corticosteroid and for this reason it is extremely valuable in the treatment of various diseases characterized by adrenal fig gland insufiiciency. For example, aldosterone is effective in maintaining electrolyte balance and well-being in patients with adrenal cortical hypofunction, as in the case of Addisons disease.

The following example illustrates the invention:

Example 4.5 grams of 3u-acetoxy-17a-hydroxy-1'7'a-cyano-D- homo-l2:l8-bisnor-chlolanic acid methyl ester are dissolved in cc. of pyridine. 1.5 cc. of thionyl chloride are added while cooling with ice, and the mixture is allowed to stand for 12 hours at room temperature. After the addition of ice and water the precipitated reactron product is taken up in ether, and the etherealextract is washed in succession With dilute hydrochloric acid, dilute sodium carbonate solution and water, and dried and evaporated. By chromatographic. purification there is obtained A -3u-acetoxy-cholenic acidv methyl ester-18- acid nitrile, which exhibits no absorption in ultra-violet light. The test with tetranitromethane is positive.

In order to hydrolyse the nitrile group 1 gram of A 3a-acetoxy-cholenic acid methyl ester-18 acid nitrile is heated with cc. of a solution of 10 percent strength of caustic potash in a mixture of Water and. methanol (1:3) for 5 hours in a closed tube at. 150 C. .After being cooled, the contents of the tube are rinsed out with Water, and the alkaline solution is extracted with ether in order to remove neutral substances. By acidifying the alkaline solution there .is obtained A -3u-hydroxycholenic acid-18-acid, which can be converted into the 18:ll-lactone of 3a:llfi-dihydroxy cholanicacid- IS-aci'd by treatment with a mixture. of 1 gram of sulfuric acid and 50 cc. of glacial acetic acidxovernighgat 20 C.

The 3 u-acetoxy-l7a-hydroxy-17a-cyano-D-homo-I 2: l8- bisnor cholanic acid methyl'ester used as. starting. material can be prepared as follows:

5 grams of 3a-benzoyloxy-12-keto-cholanic acid ethyl ester dissolved in 14 cc. of glacial acetic acid, cc. of

methanol. and 40 cc. of chloroform, are mixed in the course of 20 minutes at 0 C. with 14.5 grams of potassium cyanide. The reaction mixture is allowed to stand for a further 30 minutes at 5 C. and for one hour at 20 C. After the addition ofv ether, the ethereal extract is washed with dilute sodium bicarbonate solution and water, dried and evaporated, and there are obtained 4.8 gramsof crude 3a-benzoyloxy-12-hydroxy-IZ-cyano-cholanic acid methyl ester.

In order to eliminate water 4.5 grams of the above cyanhydrin are dissolved in 40 cc. of pyridine, 1.5 cc. of thionyl chloride are added while cooling, and the mixture is allowed to stand for 12 hours at room temperature. By diluting the reaction mixture with ether and washing the ethereal extract with dilute hydrochloric acid and water, drying it and evaporating the ether, there are obtained 4.3 grams of an oil which is purified by chromatography over a column of 130 grams of aluminum oxide (activity equals /3)- By means of a mixture of petroleum-etherand benzene (3:1) a total of 3.7 grams of'3abenzoyloxy-l7a-methylene-D-homo-12-nor-cholanic acid methyl ester-18-acid nitrile are elutriated.

The'above' compound (3.7 grams.) is dissolved in 100 cc. of methylene chloride and the solution is ozonised at -70 C. After distilling off the solvent, the ozonide is dissolved in cc. of glacial acetic acid, and, after the addition of 1 gram of zinc, the solution is heated for 1 /2 hours on the water bath. The reaction solution is washed with a sodium bicarbonate solution and water, dried and evaporated, and there are obtained 3.7 grams of 3abenzoyloxy-17a-oxo-l2-nor-cholanic acid methyl esterl8-acid nitrile, and for the purpose of ketonic hydrolysis the latter is mixed with 10 grams of potassium hydroxide dissolved in cc. of a mixture of Water and methanol (3:1) and heated for 4 hours on the Water bath. The crude acid so obtained is esterified with diazo methane, and after-acetylated with a mixture of acetic anhydride and "pyridine. There are obtained 2.9 gram-s of Zia-acetoxy-17a-oxo-D-homo-I2 :IS-bisnor-cholanic acid methyl ester, which melts at 146-147 C. after recrystallization from methanol.

In order to form the cyanhydrin 220 milligrams of the above ketone are treated With a mixture of 2 cc. of hydrocyanic acid, 1-2 cc. of chloroform and 0.2 cc. of triethylamine overnight at 20 C. After the addition. of ether, the ethereal solution is washed with dilute sodium carbonatesolution and water, dried and evaporated, and there is obtained 3a-acetoxy-l'7a-hydroxy-l7a-cyano-D- homo-l2:18-bisnor-cholanic acid methyl ester, which melts at 144-l46 C. with decomposition after recrystallization from methanol.

The 18-:l l-1actone of 3a-,1lfi-dihydroxy-cholanic acid- "I'S-acid may be converted to aldosterone for example in the following manner:

By reaction with phenylmagnesium bromide a tertiary 24:24-diphenyl-carbinol is formed, from which water may be split off yielding the 18:11-lactone of A -3ocZ11B dihydroxy-24':24 diphenyl-cholene-lS-acid; This compound may be degraded by allylic bromination at carbon atom 22 with the aid of N-bromo succinimide, splitting off hydrobromic acid with the formation of the 18:11- lactone of A 6u:11B-dihydroxy-24:24-diphenylcholadiene-l8-acid, and oxidation of the diene-system with chromic acid to form the l8zll-lactone of the 3a:11fl-dihydroxy-ZO-keto-pregnane-lS-acid. The keto group in position 20 is then ketalized with ethylene glycol in the presence of an acid catalyst, the 3a-hydroxyl group oxidized with chromic acid pyridine complex, then a bromine atom' isintroduced in 4-position by means of bromine and hydrobromic acid, the ketal grouping in the 20-position being simultaneously split up. By splitting off. hydrogen bromide from the compound thus formed with semi-carbazi de and pyruvic acid a double bond' is .introducedin 4z'5-position, then the 3-keto group is conmethyl ethyl dioxolane and thus there is obtained the l8 1 1,9) -lactone of A -3-ethylenedioxy-l1/3-hydroxy-20- keto-2l-halogen-pregnene-lS-acid is obtained. By treatment with an aqueous acid this compound is converted to the (l8- ll;8)-lactone of the A -3-ethylenedioxy-115:21- dihydroxy-ZO-keto-pregnene-l8-acid. The 20-keto group of this compound is then protected by conversion into the ethylenedioxy ketal group in the manner described above for the 3-ketal group. The (l8- '1l;3)-1actone of M6 :ZO-bis-ethylenedioxy-l 1 3:21-dihydroxy-pregnene-18- acid is then reduced in tetrahydrofurane solution with an amount of lithium aluminum hydride calculated for the reduction of the lactone to the semi-acetal group while taking into account the 2l-hydroxyl group. The M6 ZO-bis-ethylenedioxy-l 1,8 2 l'dihydroxyl 8-oxo-pregnene thus obtained is hydrolyzed with 50% acetic acid. From the crude product which results, aldosterone can be obtained by chromatography.

What is claimed is:

1. A compound selected from the group consisting of those having the general formula CH Rs CH; CN

in which R is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl carbonyl radical and R is a member selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl radical.

3. A compound of the formula CH CH3 000R:

6 in which R is a member selected from thegroup consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl carbonyl radical and R and R are members selected from the group consisting of hydrogen and a lower alkyl radical.

4. The compound of the formula OOCH:

CHaCOO- 5. The compound of the formula on; o--oo COOH' 6. The compound of the formula C CH; COOH 7. The process which comprises the step of treating a compound of the general formula HO R: CHI

wherein R and R are lower alkyl radicals, R is a member selected from the group consisting of a nitrile group and an esterified carboxyl group, with a dehydrating agent selected from the group consisting of a sulphur and a phosphorus halide in an organic base to produce a compound of the formula CH3 OH: R3

wherein R R and R have the meanings given above.

8. The process which comprises the step of treating a compound of the formula OH CN CH:

wherein R and R are lower alkyl groups with a dehydrating agent selected from the group consisting of a 7 sulphur and a phosphorus halide in an organic base to produce the compound of the formula CH3 ON i wherein R and R have the meaning given above, and hydrolyzing such compound with an alkaline hydrolyzing agent.

9. The process which comprises the step of treating a wherein R and R are lower alkyl groups with a dehydrating agent selected from the group consisting of a sulphur and a phosphorus halide in an organic base, hydrolyzing the compound thus obtained with an alkaline hydrolyzing agent and treating the hydrolyzed compound with a mixture of acetic acid and sulphuric acid to produce the compound of the formula CH3 O-C 0 COOH 8 10. A process which comprises the step of treating 3a acetoxy-l7a-hydroxy-17a-cyano-D-homo 12: 18 bisnorchola'ni'c acid methyl ester with thionyl chloride in pyridine and hydrolyzing the compound thus obtained with an alkaline hydrolyzing agent.

11. A compound of the formula ON CH3 CH3 COORz wherein R is a member selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl carbonyl group, a benzoyl group and a hydrogen atom, and R is a member selected from the group consisting of a hydrogen atom and a lower alkyl group.

12. The compound of the formula OH ON CH1;

COOCHs CHaCOO References Cited in the file of this patent Experientia, vol. XI, Fasc IX, September 15, 1955, pages 365-68.

Helv. Chimica Acta, vol. 37, pages 1200-1223.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE Certifieate of Correction Patent No. 2,868,78 l January 13, 1959 Leopold Ruzicka et al.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction and that the said Letters Patent should read as corrected below.

Column 3, line 5, right-hand formula, the vertical line appearing to the right of 00 should. be canceled; column 4, line 62, for

A22:22;23:24 7 I d Signed and sealed this 7th day of July 1959.

Attests KARL H. AXLlNE Attesting Gyfiom ROBE? G1 WATSON, fiamz msm'cner af Patents. 

1. A COMPOUND SELECTED FROM THE GROUP CONSISTING OF THOSE HAVING THE GENERAL FORMULA 